John miller



JOHN MILLER, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YRK.

Letters Patent No. 63,076, dated Illarch 19, 1867.

dlp Scintille Istant tu it time trttrr ntcnt mit making mi nf tige same.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CON CERN:

Be it known that I, JOHN MILLER, of the city ot' Bui'alo, in the county of Erie, and State oi' New York, have invented an improved Bung or Stopper for Casks, Barrels, 85e.; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a central vertical section of my improvement, with the stopper or plug, B, of the bung driven down preparatory to being wedged up in its proper position.

Figure is a. similar section, that through the` plug B being in a plane at right angles to the one in tig. I, the hung being represented in place in a portion of a cask, and the parts thereot'v in the required position for closing the orifice.l

Figure 3 is a plan of the bung detached.

Like letters of reference designate corresponding parts.

The object oi' my improvement is to provide a bung that shall be of the most durable nature, that may be readily inserted or removed from the cask or other vessel, and which shall form at all times a perfectly air-tight stopper,.and be secure against the possibility of displacement from the pressure Within.

The invention consists of a metallic box or lining which screws into the bung-hole, together with a plug of peculiar construction, and ring of suitable packing material, by which the orifice is closed, as hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings, A represents the box for lining the bunghole, slightly tapering on the outside, and provided with a thread for screwing tightly in the orifice. It has a flange, c, at the outer end, which acts as astop to prevent it from being accidentally screwed in too far, this ange having notches, d d, in its edge (shown most clearly in tig. 3,) for. the points oi' the wrench in inserting or removing the box. The opening through this box is cylindrical till -near the inner or lower end, where it is gradually enlarged, as shown at e, for a purpose presently to be explained". B is the main portion of the plug, in length about equal to the box A, the upper or outer portion being cylindrical, and of a diameter suiieiently small toallow adequate space for the packing, F, which surrounds it, while the lower portion, g, is enlarged so that its' slides shall conform in direction, or nearly so, with those of the enlargement at the end of the b oX. There is a socket, j, formed in the upper end of the. plug, into which vscrews a head, z, of a diameter a triile less than that of the orifice of the box. A hole, z', elongated or formed with recesses on cach side, is made, extending through this head into the socket j. K is a tool and handle for operating the plug, the lower end, l, being reduced in size, so as t'o enter the orice in driving in the plug, as shown in iig. '1. To the end lis secured, in any suitable way, a short flattened rod, m, provided'with lugs o n each edge at the end, as shown n red lines, iig. 2. In operating with this tool, the point or extremity mis inserted in the hole i, in the head of the plug, till the face of Zcomes in contact with the latter, the lugsor ears at the end extendingjust below the end of the head, Aand into the socketj.'

vMy improvement is employed in the following manner: The box A is first screwed into the orifice in the cask, when a ring or short section of Indiaqubber pipe, or equivalent elastic material for forming a packing, 'of about the relative'length shown, is slipped on the cylindrical end of the plug B, and the head t screwed in. The-plug is then driven in the box by means of the tool K, as above described, till the shoulder o strikes against the box, the parts being in the position shown in fig. l. The handle K is new turned one-quarter laround,.so thatthe lugsfat the end of m will catch under the end of the head h, when by drawing up on the handle, the lowervand enlarged end of the plug distending the lower end oi'v the packing, in lthe enlargement of the box, prevents lit from sliding u p in the latter, and thereby wedges and packs it firmly between the two, forming a 'perfectly secure and air-tightjoint, the pressure of the gas evolved within the cask operating to pack the joint still more tightly, instead of loosening the bung, as in the ordinary construction employed." The .lower end of the stopper may be formed with a narrow rim or flange, s, as shown, although its use is not very essentiahas it simply gives the end of the plug an increased size, which might sometimes be necessary when the packing material is unusually soft and yielding. The bung-hole may be opened when required, by either unscrewing the box and removing the devicelentire, or the plug may be driven through -into the vessel, from which it can be readily removed after the liquid has been drawn out, by unscrewing the box, which will leave an opening of suicient site for the purpose. The box may be employed for lining the orifice when the ordinary wooden hung is used, in which case the hole in the vessel is protected from the wear t0 which they are usually subjected by the frequent` insertion und removal of the bung, so that a. vessel may be used u much longer time when provided with this protection. The `upertu're through the box being smooth and cylindrical, enables thesame to, be tightly closed with less difiieulty, the lstrength of the metal allowing the plug to be driven in with greet force, if required, without injury to the eusk. My improved plug B is specially adripted for closing vessels that are required to be kept perfectly air-tight, und when they ure to be subjected to a. great pressure from the confined gases evolved within, for, ns beforestztted, the greater the pressure the more perfect und tightthe joint becomes, while the ordinary bung is frequently loosened or forced out by the internal pressure, or from that cause, and from thejerring'to which the vessels are subjected during transportation. i

What I claim es my invention, und desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1.' The met-allie box A, expanding inwardly to receive the plug B, when employed as a lining for bungholesgvand constructed substuntiully as described. k

2. I also claim the plug B, when provided with the head h, und enlarged end g, und combined with the packing-ring F, ajnd box A, substantially as set forth.

3. I also claim the handle und driver K, constructed endA operating with the other parts as described.

In witness whereof I'have hereunto signed my nume in the presencefof two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN MILLER.

Witnesses:

J. R. BRAKE, JAY HYATT. 

